Refers to a small broken-off piece of something physical, or metaphorically a tiny amount of something abstract like emotion or truth.
A fragment of glass had fallen on the floor.
There wasn't even a shred of truth in his story.
The word is usually written in kana. This is the most common and recommended spelling.
Kanji spelling using 一 and 欠片. Rarely used; the kana form is strongly preferred.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling. Rarely used.
Compound of 一 (ひと, 'one') and かけら (kakera, 'fragment'). The exact origin of かけら is uncertain, but it is a native Japanese word.